MapBiomas receives Collective Social Innovation Award at World Economic Forum
New category of social innovators recognizes five initiatives from around the world that develop collaborative actions around global social challenges
Tasso Azevedo (first on left), general coordinator of MapBiomas, among the 16 winners of the Social Innovators of the Year 2023 Award
MapBiomas was awarded this Tuesday, 17th, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, which recognizes 16 initiatives from around the world for their impact and social innovation. MapBiomas was awarded within a new category of the Social Innovators of the Year award - Collective Social Innovation. It was created to give visibility to innovative models of collaboration and collective impact that are increasingly prominent in actions of social transformation. In this category, MapBiomas is one of five winning initiatives.
“Complex problems cannot be tackled by single organizations, and this year’s Schwab Foundation awardees show new models of collaborating across sectors using innovative technology, human networks and shared resources and knowledge. Many social innovators have a long history of working in collaboration with others. The ambition now is in creating systemic change through collective efforts,” said François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
The generation of systemic changes was one of Tasso Azevedo's goals when he led the conception of MapBiomas, bringing together NGOs, universities and technology startups. "Free access to updated, historical and quality information and data on land use and land cover is a premise for the implementation of public policies, the fight against deforestation, and for companies to act responsibly. Today, anyone with internet access can check what is happening in the entire national territory, which was divided into modules of 30 square meters, analyzed according to their coverage, use, and land tenure situation, among other criteria," he explains.
Tasso Azevedo and Hilde Schwab, cofounder and president of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
The Collective Social Innovation category is added to three others, which guided the choice of the award winners until last year: Social Entrepreneurs, Corporate Social Intrapreneurs and Public Social Intrapreneurs. The winners are selected by Schwab Foundation Board members. The selection committee includes Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who was Prime Minister of Denmark from 2011 to 2015, social innovation expert Johanna Mair, Professor of Organization, Strategy and Leadership at the Hertie School of Governance in Germany, and H.M. Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Honorary Board Member.
“The Social Innovators of the Year 2023 represent a generation of social and environmental change leaders who demonstrate that innovative models of cooperation and action across sectors are critical to making progress on the complex challenges we face,” said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
New award
Last year, in april, MapBiomas also won an international award: the Skoll 2022 Social Innovation Award, alongside five other initiatives from around the world. The award is the largest and most traditional in the world for social innovators and the third sector.